Michigan Forest Life - December 5, 2024

Greetings from the wintery vistas of Winterfield Pines Nature Sanctuary,

I am happy to report that there is finally snow on the ground. A beautiful, delicate, four-inch

blanket and soft white frosting lining the top of every branch in the forest (Photos 1, 2). Fire

in the woodstove warms the Treehouse to a pleasant 72°F while the friendly cuckoo clock

chatters in a soft steady voice from the wall behind me (Photo 3).

Sourdough bread is baking in a cast iron Dutch oven on the grill. Let's see how this loaf

turns out. It has been nearly a year since I brought sourdough starter to the Treehouse; part

of a diet plan with less bread. If this loaf works, some of it will become toast with my daily

breakfast.

While stepping out to the porch to remove the Dutch oven's lid, I noticed my own barefoot tracks in the snow from earlier

in the morning (Photo 4).

The encounter brings to mind Robinson Crusoe, "I was exceedingly surprised with the print of a man's naked foot on

the shore, which was very plain to be seen on the sand. I stood like one thunderstruck, or as if I had seen an apparition."

Do you think animals see a human print for what it is? Are they concerned when they find

our print in the snow? Thunderstruck? When they see the prints of other animals higher

than them on the food chain? Do they see the print and recognize it visually, or do they only

pick up the human scent from the track. Humans see but can rarely smell the animal from its

tracks. Do animals smell but rarely understand what they see?

While doing the morning dishes I looked up to see eight deer making their way through

trees only a short distance from the Treehouse (Photos 5, 6). Would they see my tracks in

the snow? The ones I left there after dark last night as I walked down the trail from the gate

where I parked the Subaru. It was a strategy to ensure the car did not become snowbound

at the bottom of a hill three-eighths of a mile past the dead end of Wilson Road, a seasonal

dirt road that Clare County does not maintain in the winter.

Would the deer say, "Ahh, the human who stays in the Treehouse must be here. Where is his car?

...Yes, I can see him now in the window. What's he doing here on this snowy day?"

This is my last trip to the forest for 2024. My stays added up to 153 days at Winterfield Pines Nature Sanctuary in 2024, including 123 nights in the Treehouse. I will be back late in January. The Bunkee is booked with guests throughout all of December.

Cathy and I wish you and your loved ones a

beautiful, safe holiday season.

....and I wish you a delicious loaf of fresh baked bread (Photo 7. Hurray!!!..it worked!).

Until 2025,

Dan